The Coleridge Collection Part II: Other Art

An Annotated Bibliography of Criticism and Scholarship
Volumes I-III
By
Walter B. Crawford
With the research and editorial assistance of
Ann M. Crawford

PART II.10 OTHER ART

A principal source is here summarized and partly quoted from a database most recently used by the Crawfords in November 1999 in National Museum of American Art: "The Art Inventories database maintained by the National Museum of American Art [cited as "NMAA Art Inv"] contains over 300,000 records from two ongoing projects--The Inventory of American Paintings Executed before 1914 and The Inventory of American Sculpture [created by artists born or active in the US up through the 20th century]. You may limit your search to a specific Inventory, or search both Inventories together. This information is compiled from reports supplied by museums, historical societies, special survey projects, public art programs, published catalogs, and private collectors. Reports are recorded as given and are not certified as accurate or complete. Inclusion of a painting or sculpture in the database does not imply a recommendation of its aesthetic merit, historic significance, or authenticity. Copyright 1994 Smithsonian Institution."

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[S II.10 18??] ANON. Home of C, the Lake Poet. Oil painting, 24 x 22" (610 x 559mm). Private owner.

Not seen. Source: NMAA Art Inv: image on file.
Category indexed in volume III, Index 7, 8520: either Greta Hall or No 3, The Grove, Highgate.

[S II.10 18??] ANON. Youth and Old Age. Allegorical oil painting, 23.5" x 18.5". (n.d.).

Not seen. Source: NMAA Art Inv, whose only reference is a 1969 sale catalog.

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[S II.10 1839] COLE, Thomas (1801-1848). Voyage of Life, Preliminary Studies for Childhood, Youth, Manhood, Old Age. Allegorical oil painting, 12" by 14". 1839. In Albany [NY] Institute of History and Art. Reproduced in exhibition catalog, American Art in the Making: Preparatory Studies for Masterpieces of American Painting, 1800-1900, S.i.t.e.s. (1976), figures 19, 20, 22, 25. pp 20-3.

Not seen. Source: NMAA Art Inv. Cole's interest in 1838 in C's poem Love, which prompted his painting Genevieve (ca 1838--C9305; see also C3126), might conceivably have extended to C's also much admired poem Youth and Age, on which he might have drawn for this painting.
NMAA Art Inv also catalogs an undated copy, "after Thomas Cole," oil, 31" x 46" (78.7 x 116.8cm), with landscape and waterscape, reproduced in a Je 1978 Christie's sale catalog, American Paintings, Drawings, Sculpture, p 15.

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[S II.10 1848] SPENCER, Lilly Martin (1822-1902). Youth and Age. Allegorical painting, 34" x 45".

Not seen. Source: NMAA Art Inv, whose source is a 1973 catalog of an exhibition of the artist's works. May or may not relate to C's poem Youth and Age.

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[S II.10 1856] HICKS, Thomas (1823-1890). Age and Youth. Allegorical oil painting, 8" x 9.5" (203 x 241mm). (1856).

Not seen. Source: NMAA Art Inv, whose only source is a 1959 sale catalog. May or may not relate to C's poem Youth and Age.

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[S II.10 1867] FLAGG, Jared B (1820-1899). Youth and Old Age. Allegorical oil painting, 40" x 33" (101.6 x 83.8cm). (1867). In Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, CN, since 1974.

Not seen. Source: NMAA Art Inv. Image on file. May or may not relate to C's poem Youth and Age.

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[S II.10 1883] INNESS, George (1825-94). Old Age and Youth. Allegorical oil painting, figure in landscape, 18" x 24" (457 x 610mm). (1881-1883).

Not seen. Source: NMAA Art Inv, whose only source is Ireland, Works of George Inness (1965). May or may not relate to C's poem Youth and Age.

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[S II.10 1884] ANON. Emma Stebbins Memorial Water Trough. Outdoor granite sculpture (1884). Ca 3 x 5 x 5 feet.

Not seen. Source: NMAA Art Inv: image on file. Emma Stebbins (1815-1882) was poet, painter, sculptor. The memorial, erected by her friends, is a square block of granite carved in the center with a large basin featuring a fountain spout in the center. At the foot of the north side, there is a small watering trough for dogs. "(On north side, above dog watering trough:) From the dogs of Clipston Grange. (On east side:) He prayeth well who loveth well / Both man and bird and beast" [The RAM 612-13].
Administered by the Town of Lenox, MA. The fountain underwent restoration in 1897 and 1995.

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[S II.10 1896] SAVAGE, Reginald. "The Albatross (Ancient Mariner)." Pageant, 1 (1896), 161. Pen drawing 82 x 83mm. Pageant Art Editor, C. Hazelwood Shannon, and J. W. Gleeson White, Literary Editor, L: Messrs Henry & Co. Plate on page 161 copyrighted by F. Hollyer.

The AM, face thrown upwards in agony, large albatross hanging by rope from his neck, is surrounded by three menacing crew members. One is tying the rope behind the AM's neck, one holds a dagger at the AM's throat, and one seems to be trying to bite the AM's arm through his billowing right sleeve. This "talented and imaginative designer and woodcut artist" was commended by Walter Crane for his "weird designs" (biographical dictionary, BOD x.7.14).
Discovered by Antje Klesse in Bodleian Library; also in ��.
Click here to see the full sized graphic.

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[S II.10 19??] POCOCK, Richard. At length did cross an Albatross. Ltd edn print, purchased for the Coleridge Cottage, Nether Stowey, from the estate of Betty Williams (1920-2001).

Noted in "News from Nether Stowey," Coleridge Bulletin, NS 17 (Summer 2001), 99. As of S 2003, further details not provided by Director of Coleridge Cottage.

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[S II.10 190?] HOWLAND, Alfred Cornelius (1838-1909). Youth and Old Age. Oil painting, 10" x 16.5" (254 x 419mm). (nd). Reproduced in Antiques (My 1971), 671.

Not seen. Source: NMAA Art Inv. Image on file. May or may not relate to C's poem Youth and Age.

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[S II.10 1914?] FARINI, N. Youth and Age. Watercolor, 6 7/8" x 4 7/8" (175 x 124mm). (ca 1914).

Not seen. Source: NMAA Art Inv: image on file. Subject: Genre--Domestic, Architecture interior--Domestic. Private owner. May or may not relate to C's poem Youth and Age.

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[S II.10 193?] TARRANT, Margaret. ["He prayeth best who loveth best".] (193?). Source: Medici Society post card, untitled. On card seen, most of the printing on the back was torn off from being pasted in an album. Remaining: "The Medici Society Limited" (circular logo); ". . . London . . . nt to the late King George V . . . ritain . . . Pk.7 . . . ."

Front side has color reproduction (109 x 85mm on 140 x 89mm) of boy on hilltop, kneeling in prayer, surrounded by 2 lambs (a sheep in distance), 2 rabbits, and a red squirrel. Below the picture are lines 614-17 of The RAM, followed by "S. T. COLERIDGE" and, at bottom, "After the painting by Margaret W. Tarrant." Tarrant (1888-1959) was watercolorist (fairies, figure subjects), illustrator.
Gift to CCC from Rosemary Elizabeth Coleridge Middleton.

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[S II.10 194?] CALDER, Alexander Stirling (1870-1945). Youth and Old Age. Allegorical sculpture. Private owner.

Not seen. Source: NMAA Art Inv, whose only source is Index of American Sculpture, U of Delaware (1985). Given Calder's illustrations of The RAM (1946--C4015, 4045, 4282), this sculpture might conceivably relate to C's poem Youth and Age.

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[S II.10 196?] HOFFMAN, P K [born 1943]. Xanadu. Glazed storage pot (n.d.), 17.5" high, 19" wide, 51" diameter. In U of Oregon Museum of Art, Eugene, OR.

Not seen. Source: NMAA Art Inv. A large pot with abstract glazed design and elaborately molded handles. Reproduced in A Gift of Love, U of Oregon Museum of Art (1975), p 26.

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[S II.10 197?] MOSES. Kublai. Sculpture made with paper bags. (nd) Owner: Honolulu Advertiser, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Not seen. Source: NMAA Art Inv.

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[S II.10 1980?] TODD, Mike. The Myth: Eros. Sculpture in outdoor site in South Carolina. (nd, 1980?)

Not seen. Source: NMAA Art Inv. "Based on a poem, this piece is number five in a series of six. It has had brief showings as part of the artist's one-man show entitled 'The Myth,' at Atalaya, Murrell Inlet, South Carolina; Coastal Carolina University, Conway, South Carolina; and the California State Museum, Long Beach."
"A nude female figure with raised hands is releasing a raven. There is a skull at her feet, symbolizing mortality. One foot is hooved and chained to symbolize instinctive nature. The raven represents freedom." Given the artist's interest in STC (see annotation on his 1979 alabaster sculpture, C9356), the poem on which this outdoor sculpture is "based" might conceivably be either C's The Raven (1797, CPW 169) or the albatross in The RAM, though neither C bird has any obvious connection to the theme of civil liberty.
According to Ja 1994 survey by South Carolina "Save Outdoor Sculpture: "Well maintained, evidence of structural instability, cracks and organic growth on sculpture and base. Water collects in recessed areas. The surfaces are coated with tongue oil with silicote."

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[S II.10 1982] GREEN, David L [born 1951]. Xanadu Stratocaster. Sculpture of walnut, leather, brass, tampico fiber. 15 x 36 x 15". Administered by Washington State Arts Commission, Art in Public Places Program; located at Monroe High School, Monroe, WA; acquired 7 Jy 1982.

Not seen. Source: NMAA Art Inv, which lists in its "Subject" field: "Landscape--Imaginary" and "Object--Musical Instrument--Guitar."

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[S II.10 1991] HALSEY, Alan. Sonata for The Ancient Mariner. Black (125 x 88mm) on white card (160 x 107mm). (1991 or 1992).

Black on white collage entitled 'Sonata for The Ancient Mari

According to the artist, this work is part of a series of collages begun in 1985 or 1986. It was created of different materials, including sheet music and letterpress titling, and then photocopied to make a collage of line images. Central is tall mast with elaborate rigging; small bits of rigging in lower right. To left of upper part of past is 9mm circle labeled "Sol" with wavy lines radiating from it. To upper left of "Sol" is abstract outline of small sailing vessel, below which is the word "Ultravioleta." To left of lower part of mast is the ribbed prow of the spectre bark, though no sun is peering through it (The RAM 185-6). Other images include musical notes (including sharps) and a G-clef sign), small bits of maps, and scattered words including "ET LABORE" at top and "argamente" [sic] and "Excursions" at bottom.
The artist says in a letter that this work is an attempt "to compress visual images relating to different parts of the poem into a kind of visual/textual abstract. The Sonata I see mainly as a conflation of the Nightmare Life-in-Death passage and the blessing of the sea-creatures at the end of Part IV. I see the sea-creatures in the primitive flower-like drawing at the bottom of the picture and the amoeba-ish creatures under the 'Sol'. . . . [T]he ribbed prow of the spectre bark [was] transformed from a drawing of a fossil. The central image of the ship's mast and rigging comes from the engraved frontispiece of an early 19th century edition of Falconer's The Shipwreck." The artist's letter continues with much more explanation and interpretation.
Artist is a member of The Friends of Coleridge and the poet-proprietor of "The Poetry Bookshop" at Hay-on-Wye, Breconshire.
Gift to CCC from Reggie Watters.
Click here for the full sized graphic.

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[S II.10 1993] TURNER, Richard. His Floating Hair. [Orange, Calif, 1993.] Ink, photocopy and shellac on paper, 96 x 90 inches, 20 drawings, 24 x 18 inches each. Shown in an exhibit of installations, drawings, and sculptures titled Should a Beatnik Drink a Martini? Richard Turner, A Ten Year Survey 1987-1997, at Huntington Beach Art Center, Huntington Beach, Calif, 22 F to 4 My 1997, curated by Tyler Stallings, Director of Programs.

Illustrated catalog (32 pp, 8½ x 5½ inches) includes "Introduction" by Naida Osline, "A Field of Effects" by Tyler Stallings, "On Being Between" by Wendy Salmond, "Notes on Orientalism" by M A Greenstein, "Based on a True Story" by Paul Tate and Richard Turner, "Sketchbook Excerpts," "Photojournal Excerpts," "Exhibition Checklist," "Artist Biography," "About the HBAC," and 4 color plates. According to Stallings, "Three overlapping themes weave through Turner's work from the past several years. The first explores the interaction between the cultures of Asia and the U.S. The second reflects his interest in the cultural transition that occurred in America from the 1950's to the 1960's. The third is a series of commentaries on the role(s) of the artist in society." The latter two themes overlap in His Floating Hair, which "questions the role of the artist in society, asking if an artist should be viewed as a mystic to fear and to respect or a misunderstood, eccentric figure on the fringes of society?
"These two viewpoints are conflated by superimposing cartoons of Beatnik artists" (originally drawn by various artists for The New Yorker) onto lines 49-54 of KK (drawings 1, 3, 4, 7, 9-13, 15, and 20) and writings by different Beatnik writers. In 2 is text from both Jack Kerouac's The Dharma Bums (1958) and Bob Dylan's song "Mr. Tambourine Man" (1965). In 8 is text from William Burroughs' The Naked Lunch (1959), and in 14 is text from Allen Ginsberg's Howl and Other Poems (1956). Drawings 5, 6, and 16-19 are without text. Most of the cartoons are anonymous, generalized, but in 2 is Bhodi Dharma; in 8 is a self-portrait of Turner drawn from a photograph taken by a street photographer in India in 1967; in 17 is James Dean; and 19 is re-drawn from the cover of Kerouac's On the Road (1957).
The portrait reproduced [30 x 27mm, text not legible] with the Art Center's Calendar announcement, on handout including "Exhibition Checklist," and, cartoon only, on the Catalog cover and a handout card), is taken from a drawing (artist not identified) in a James Dean fan magazine (1956) that features scenes from the life of the movie actor.
Since 1970, Turner has taught studio art and Asian Art History and directed the Guggenheim Gallery at Chapman University, Orange, California. He is now best known for his architectural narratives and other commissioned public art. Drawing is a significant bridge between his studio and public art. He says that KK has been his favorite poem since the day his college philosophy professor did a marvelous reading of it as an example of the power and beauty possible in great poetry.
Click here to see the 1st image enlarged.
Click here to see the 2nd image enlarged.

[S II.10 1996?] BERLIN, Sven. Three marble sculptures, items 52-4 in S I 1997 Woof above (qv).

[S II.10 1996?] KNEALE, Bryan. Homage to Doré. Bronze sculpture (elongated head of the albatross), item 51 in S I 1997 Woof above (qv), reproduced there on p 124.

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[S II.10 2002] WATCHET MARKET HOUSE MUSEUM. Plan described in Coleridge Bulletin, NS 17 (Summer 2001), 100-01, and in correspondence from the Museum.

"The Museum intends to erect [in the harbor at Watchet, Somerset, "generally thought of as the place where the Mariner began his fateful voyage"] a traditional life-size statue in bronze standing on a plinth bearing the famous description of the ship's departure ‘Below the kirk, below the hill, / Below the lighthouse top.' The statue is to be sited at the western end of the Esplanade looking towards the harbour, where it will be the symbolic start of a new Watchet Heritage Trail. . . . For further information . . . contact Michael V. Sully, Museum Secretary, 7 Periton Court, Parkhouse Road, Minehead, Somerset TA24 8AE."

Mr Sully writes in a 15 August 2001 letter to the Crawfords that he has "received over forty requests from sculptors for information and . . . nine designs. After the closing date of 1st September the Museum Committee will select two or three designs for the sculptors to produce models for further consideration. We have met Mr Tom Mayberry of the Coleridge Society and will consult him about the choice of designs. . . . Various funding bodies in the UK are being approached for grants," the cost possibly coming to £40,000. "Any other financial help will be greatly appreciated. Our small Museum is run entirely by volunteers but usually attracts 26,000 visitors each year." Admission is free.

Stephanie Franklin, Assistant Secretary of the Museum, writes in a 26 February 2002 letter, that the "fifty plus submissions for the statue" were reduced by the Committee to a short list of 15 sketches, displayed at the museum, and that these 15 were "condensed to three designs, which we felt required slight amendments. Once the sculptors had successfully carried this out, a final decision was made on the 26 February 2002. I attach a sketch of the successful design," by the sculptor Alan Herriot, of Scotland. The project's cost is estimated at £40,000. "Any additional monies in support of the Ancient Mariner statue would be appreciated. . . . We intend to have a scroll of subscribers" names on show in the Museum," at 43 West Street, Watchet, Somerset, TA23 0BQ. Email address is anthony.franklin@virgin.net. On 20 July 2003, she writes: "Things are going at their own pace. The sculptor is creating the figure at this time, but planning, etc, taking longer than thought. The Committee still hope to erect and unveil statue by late autumn."

Click here for the full sized graphic.

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[S II.10 2003] HERRIOTT, Alan B. The Ancient Mariner. Larger-than-life bronze statue installed on 27 S 2003 on the Esplanade looking toward the harbor of Watchet, Somerset. For the background of this Watchet Market House Museum, see [S II.10 2002] WATCHET above.

Veiled statue arriving at Watchet Market House Museum

Unveiling of the sculpture at Watchet Market House Museum

The veiled statue arrived in a van of the Powderhall Bronze Foundry on 25 S. The next morning, by means of a crane supplied by the local firm of Travis Perkins it was placed on and bolted to a one-metre-high base plinth structure. This structure was provided by the local water authority (Wessex Water), and a local stonemason clad the plinth in sandstone from a nearby quarry. The site allows "a stunning backdrop of the lighthouse and marina."

The official unveiling ceremony was scheduled for 27 S. Invitations were sent out to 150 members, local dignitaries and support teams, and a "cream tea" was arranged in the Red Cross Centre to "round off" the day. A brass band was put together to play in the afternoon.

"Unveiling day! The skies were clear, a breezy day but dry! Whilst awaiting commencement of speeches, the committee were sat with dignitaries, and almost 300 people stood to view the ceremony. Before it commenced, much to the amusement of everyone, a little dog came sniffing about, around the statue base, cocked his leg, and "christened" the statue.

The proceedings started with an introduction by Michael Sully of the Museum. Tom Mayberry, of The Friends of Coleridge Society, spoke on the history and background of Coleridge and the poem. Watchet Regeneration representative Carol Stone spoke of the enhancement the statue will provide to Watchet. The last speaker was sculptor Herriott, who spoke of his interest in Coleridge's poem and expressed his pride in having been chosen to create this work of art.

Finally, the sculptor, "looking grand in his kilt," and local dignitary Dr Katherine Wyndham together unveiled the statue. "Everyone applauded, and exclaimed their delight, as it is a splendid representation of the Mariner, and beautifully crafted by Alan. The Museum Committee are totally delighted, overwhelmed even, with the final product. All the months of hard work have come to fruition, and it seems unreal. Guests then retired to partake of their refreshments, but many hung back to digest/absorb---well, just to have a few minutes alone with the statue and take it all in. Now, whenever I pass by, there are locals and visitors just standing, looking at the Mariner."